Going away to college is exciting. New college students are often experiencing their first moments of living away from home. Dorm room decorations can serve as both a reminder of home and a unique display of style and decorating sensibilities.

Benefits of Dorm Room Dividers

One thing many college students are worried about is privacy. Dorm life provides a great sense of community but everyone needs some space and time alone. One of the best ways to achieve this is by using room dividers in your dorm. They are cheap, portable, and don’t leave a mark so you’ll be sure to get your deposit back. Tall ones provide extra privacy whereas sound-absorbing ones provide a quiet study environment even when your roommate talks on the phone at all hours.

The good thing about room dividers is that there are enough of them out there that you can find one to reflect your personality. Whether you prefer décor that is classic, modern, eclectic, or anywhere in between, you should be able to find something that works. Elaborate designs can cost hundreds of dollars but you can also find plenty of attractive and sturdy options well under $50, which is more suited to most college students’ budgets.

Here are some fun dorm room dividers you can order from amazon.com.

Unique Décor Shabby Chic Jungle Room Divider – 6ft. Faux Zebra Skin Folding Privacy Floor Screen Partition – 3 Panel	Unique 4 Panel Room Divider – 6ft Tall Japanese Poem Folding Floor Screen w/ Hand Painted Calligraphy	Ore International 4-Panel Shoji Screen Room Divider, Black
Coaster 4-Panel Elegant Room Divider Screen, Ivory Fabric, Metal Frame	ORE International Black 4-Panel Bamboo Floral Room Divider Screen	1960s Style Floor Screen – 6 ft. Tall Peace Sign Pattern Room Divider

Other Dorm Room Decorating Advice

The first key to remember when decorating a dorm room is to remember not to make any permanent markings or holes. The room will be used for only a short time and it can be very expensive to pay for repairs once you have moved out. To avoid damage, avoid placing nails into walls and avoid using tape on painted surfaces. It is surprising how effective tape can be at removing paint.

Many companies make products specifically for decorating without permanent marks. For example, 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips let you hang up photos, paintings, and posters without making holes or marking the walls at all. Consider investing in some of these products. Many are very effective at hanging items and easily removing later. When using these products, read the directions carefully. It would be a shame to cause damage by incorrectly removing or applying a product intended to prevent damage.

Dorm rooms are generally decorated with comfort and budget in mind. Keep in mind that many people may come in and out of your dorm room. Never purchase expensive furniture as it will most likely become damaged. Affordable furniture will allow you to keep your sanity when your roommate spills her punch all over the sofa.

Comfort is also key. Select furniture that will be comfortable to sit and read on. College involves many hours of studying and reading. Having a comfortable location to complete this task may make all the difference. Be sure to remember seating for guests and visitors as well.

Use elements that remind you of home. A family picture or a favorite poster will help this new setting feel more familiar. Design should always reflect the designer.

Compromise is another key in dorm room decoration. Remember that your roommate may not have the same tastes as you. It doesn’t matter. A home, even if home is only a dorm room, should reflect everyone that lives there.

Decorating a dorm room will be a fun experience that can provide excellent practice for a first time decorator. Put up your room divider, make your own space, and make your mark!

A folding screen is perfect for obscuring something that you need to have in a room but perhaps is not something you’d like displayed. For example, you could use it to hide video equipment with lots of cords or an old ugly furnace. You can also use it as a makeshift storage space by simply placing the screen against a wall in front of those boxes of holiday decorations or dusty old family photos. They are particularly useful as basement room dividers to help hide boxes from view of a recreation area. Did you accidentally make a dent in your drywall moving furniture? No need to bother getting out the plaster- just throw a folding screen there and make it look like an intentional design element!

Another great use of a folding screen is for privacy. These are especially great in shared rooms so that one person can dress in private. You could also use it as a privacy screen in a bedroom or bathroom where you don’t want to use curtains, perhaps because there is a panoramic window with a lovely view. Those who work from home may want to create their own little private work space by placing one of these screens around their computer desk. Like portable room dividers, you can always move the folding screen from one room to another as your needs change.

You can also use a folding screen for no reason at all as a purely decorative element. They are beautiful pieces that are cheaper than most furniture. In Asian-themed rooms they are a must-have. They are also great to stick in a corner to add some excitement since corners are notoriously tricky areas to decorate. If you have a modern sectional sofa, you can easily change the placement of your folding room screen at the same time you rearrange the sofa sections. They can even be used as outdoor privacy screens.

If you are the crafty type, you could even make your own folding screen room divider. Find some old closet doors or shutters that you like and glue or nail some hinges on them. You could choose doors that you like or just use plain ones and then paint them as you wish. It doesn’t get any easier than that. This is a really cheap way to get the look of an expensive room divider without spending a lot of money.

These can also be used to decorate a room without making any drastic long-term changes. Right now, open floor plans are in fashion. While open spaces are wonderful in terms of making the living space seem larger and the family feel a bigger sense of togetherness, they also have their drawbacks. One big downside is the restriction it causes to decorating options. Many people are forced to have everything in the house match one theme or color scheme because several rooms are in view at the same time. Portable room dividers can help define spaces and draw a line where one decorating theme ends and the other begins while still maintaining that open feel. This gives you more freedom in terms of choosing furniture and other items for your home. A folding screen can be as tall or short as you’d like so you can set apart the space without making it feel closed in.

Furthermore, portable room dividers do not have to be purchased with just one particular space in mind. They can be used in different locations throughout the house as needed. Perhaps you have a full house with holiday visitors and need a privacy screen so you can fit more relatives into your guest room. Then, in the summer, you may want to put the same room divider outside to make a private space where people can change into their swimsuit by the pool. There is always some reason to need a folding wall and their portability enables you to recycle their use over and over again, making it a great investment, especially if you use cheap room dividers. Even if you decide to change the color scheme of your room or house completely, you can always change the color using stencils or paint.

Another big draw of the portable room divider is that it doesn’t take up very much floor space. This makes it deal for smaller rooms that still need some sort of division, like you might find in a studio apartment or other small open space. It can also add an interesting focal point to a room without using up the amount of space that another piece of furniture would occupy.

Anyone who is looking for a great way to change up their home without investing a lot of time and money would be wise to try a portable room divider. If you want a change but aren’t completely sure where or how, this is a great way to experiment and find out what works best for your home.

In addition to being beautiful, a room divider is very functional. It can be used to set apart space in a room, whether you want to make a larger area into two distinct areas or split up a room into two areas with different design elements. They can also be used as a privacy screen, such as in the case of a dorm room, or shield unattractive pieces of furniture- for example, to hide an exercise bike or computer in your living room. They are usually lightweight and many are foldable, meaning you can put them up quickly when company is coming and put them away just as easily after they leave. The possibilities are endless.

Many people are surprised to find out that a room divider does not have to be expensive. In fact, you can even make curtain room dividers yourself with a little bit of creativity and a free Sunday afternoon. Custom room dividers can also be ordered from many companies to suit your specific needs. Although most commonly made with three panels, room dividers can have as many panels as is necessary to suit your needs. The great thing about a folding screen is that you can adjust the length by folding it closer together or putting the panels straight to make it longer. They are also available in a variety of heights. Taller room dividers are perfect for privacy, whereas shorter ones lend a more open feel. They can be made from a variety of materials including wood and fabric and the design can be printed, hand-painted, or plain. A photo room divider is a popular way to decorate and show off family photos at the same time.

A room divider is a great interior decorating trick. One smart reason for trying portable room dividers instead of other decorations is the fact that if you buy one and it doesn’t work for the room you had in mind as you hoped, you can try it in another room, another part of the same room, or even outdoors depending on the material. It is less of a permanent commitment than other décor such as furniture because it can be used in a variety of locations throughout the house as your tastes and needs change.